Dwarka city, on the west coast of Gujarat on
the shore of the Arabian Sea, features in most of the legends surrounding
Lord Krishna. It is from here that the grown Lord Krishna is supposed to
have ruled his kingdom. Dwarka is a significant Hindu pilgrimage site for the
Hindus.

Dwarka Pilgrimage :Krishna Dwarka city is sanctified as the place where Lord Vishnu slew the demon
Shankhasura. The Puranas mention the 12 Jyotirlingas or columns of light
representing Lord Shiva which manifested in different parts of the country.
One of these is located in Dwarka and is known as the Nageshwar Mahadev. The
Jagat Mandir or Nij Mandir forms the sanctum of the Dwarkadish temple and
dates back to 2500 years. Jagat Mandir has its own hall of audience and a
conical spire. The roof of the hall is supported by 60 columns and the main
temple rises five storeys high. The spire rises to a height of 157 feet and
is richly carved. One of the most popular temples in Dwarka is that of
Rukmini, Krishna's wife, considered an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, the
goddess of wealth and beauty. The Sharad Peetha, one of the four Maths
established by Jagatguru Shankaracharya, is also situated here. Do not forget to take exclusive Dwarka temple photos of Dwarka temple under sea.

Location of Dwarka - Know Before You Go
Dwarka city is situated in the extreme west of the Indian state of Gujarat in
the Saurashtra peninsula on the Arabian Sea. It lies on 20°22' north
latitude and 69°05' east longitude. The city is built on the right bank
of Gamut creek.

Dwarka Temple History Gujarat - Travel Back in Time
Dwarka Mandir is an important pilgrimage center. It is steeped in legends, being
associated with the life of Lord Krishna. In Puranic times, the present-day
Dwarka city was known as Kushasthali or Dwaravati and enjoyed pride of place as
the most important spot on the Saurashtra coast. It is said that Lord
Krishna, after slaying Kansa, left his abode at Mathura and traveled with
the entire Yadava community to the coast of Saurashtra where he founded a
town and named it Swarnadwarika.

Vajranabh,Lord Krishna'ssuccessor and great grandson, is believed to have
built the present temple Dwarkanath, also called Trilok Sundar. Many Hindus
fervently believe that the Dwarka temple Gujarat was erected in one night by a supernatural
agency, under Vajranabh's direction. Legend has it that when dying, Lord
Krishna asked his devotees to leave Swarnadwarika so that the sea could
engulf it. Until this day, Lord Krishna's city lies buried under the sea (Dwarka Temple in Sea).
Excavations have revealed that the sea swallowed five settlements, the
present-day Dwarka being the sixth in line.

Pilgrimage
Attractions- Not to be missed out on Dwarka India Tour

Dwarkadheesh
Temple
The
temple of Dwarkadheesh, also known as Jagat Mandir, is built on the
north bank of the Gomti Creek. The temple dates back to 2,500 years.
Architecturally the temple is constructed on the same plan and
system as most of the Hindu sacred edifices of antiquity. Sixty
columns support the roof of the audience hall of the Jagat Mandir.
The main temple is five-story high with the lavishly carved conical
spire rising to a height of 157 feet. There is the one-meter tall,
four handed black idol of Ranchhodrai, the ruler of Dwarika. Amongst
the large number of temples belonging to different periods in the
history of Dwarka, the most popular with pilgrims is the temple of
Rukmini, Lord Krishna's wife, who is considered an incarnation of
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and beauty.

In addition to its temples and legends, Dwarka is also sanctified
as the seat of Adi Shankaracharya, who established four seats
(maths) in four different directions in the country. Research work
in Sanskrit is carried on at the Shankaracharya's seat known as
Sharad Peetha.

Rukmini Devi Temple
This small temple, 1.5km north of town, is an architectural
masterpiece. Rukmini is the most important of Krishna's 16,108
wives. The temple walls are decorated with beautiful paintings
depicting her pastimes with Krishna. This temple is said to date
back to the 12th century.

The story behind this temple is that one day, Durvasa Muni, who is
easily angered, was invited by Lord Krishna and his wife, Rukmini,
to dinner. When a person is invited to dinner, etiquette dictates
that the host should not eat until the guest has been satisfied. On
the way to dinner, Rukmini became thirsty and asked Krishna for
help. Krishna then put his foot in the ground and the Ganges waters
flowed forth from the earth while Durvasa was not looking. As
Rukmini was drinking the water, however, Durvasa turned and saw her
drinking without his permission. He became angry and cursed her to
live apart from Lord Krishna. That is why Krishna's temple is in the
town and hers is located outside the town.

Gomati Ghat Temples
Gomati, the descended Ganges, meets the sea at Chakra-tirtha Ghat.
To take bath where the Gomati meets the ocean is said to offer
liberation. If you go out the back entrance of the Dwarkadish
Temple, you can see the Gomati River. The temple is located almost
at the spot where the Gomati meets the ocean.

The Samudra Narayana Temple (Sangam Narayana) is an imposing temple
at the confluence of the Gomati and the sea. Panchanada Tirtha
consists of five sweet-water wells surrounded by seawater. At Chakra
Narayana, Lord Vishnu was manifested as a stone marked with a chakra
on the seashore. The Gomatiji Temple has an image of the Gomati
River in it, said to have been brought down from heaven by Vasistha
Muni.

Other
Pilgriamge Attractions of Dwarka - More in Store
Nageswara Mahadeva Temple contains one of the twelve Siva Jyotirlingas
in an underground sanctum. It is located 10km from Dwarka.

Gopi-tallava is the kund (pond) where Lord Krishna met the gopis when
they came to see him at Dwarka. The sacred clay from Gopi-tallava is
known as gopi-candana and is used by devotees of Krishna to make the
tilak marks on their bodies. It is 20km north of Dwarka on the way to
Bet Dwarka.

Bhalka Tirth
The spot where Lord Krishna was mistaken for a deer and struck by a
arrow hile sleeping in a deerskin. It is said Lord Krishna was
cremated at Dehotsarga at Triveni Ghat.

Closeby lies Somnath with its shrine built by Soma, the Moon God.
The Majestic monument as it stands today is a recent replication of
the earlier construction. It is said that the original temple built
by the Moon God was of gold. After it was razed to the ground it was
rebuilt by Ravana in silver. When the silver temple was knocked down
it was reconstructed in wood by Krishna and when this was pulled
down an edifice of stone was erected by Bhimdev. Relics of the old
Somnath shrine have been preserved in a museum housed in a temple.
An interesting Sun Temple is also located in Somnath. Somnath is
also one of the 12 Jyotirlingas or Shiva shrines in India.

Fairs and
Festivals at Dwarka - Soak in the Festivities
Janmashtami (birthday of Lord Krishna), celebrated in the month of
August/September, is a major festival of Dwarka.

How to
Reach Dwarka - Plan your Tour Now!

By Air
Jamnagar, 145 kilometres away, is the nearest airport.

By Rail
Dwarka is on the Western Railway line.

By Road
State Transport buses, private buses and taxis and conducted tours
run to Dwarka.